[kayin801]

Scoring: IMP

1NT-(P)-2♣-(4♣)
X-(P)-?

---

Oops, no smolen for you! 1NT was 15-17.

1) What does partner have for his/her X?
2) Do you pull to 4♥?
3) What would you change about your hand in order to make it so you'd pass instead of pull or vice versa?

[JLOGIC]

I'd pass, we can have a 4450 0 count and partner has cracked them anyways. He has it set in his own hand. Cannot imagine this going for less than 300 and often 500+, and we don't have a sure game.

Given our hand it wouldnt be surprising if partner had 3 trump tricks and a trick or 2, I just wouldn't dream of pulling this.

[mrdct]

Take the money.

[Siegmund]

You can put me down for pulling.

My plan was to go to 4H if partner didn't show me 4-card spades, and even if partner DOES have 4C beat one or two in his own hand, I am not contributing much to the defense.

If I had only 5 hearts I would, reluctantly, leave it even if I were 4540. If I were 4621 I would be looking to see if I felt I had any defensive tricks but there are many hands I'd be willing to leave it.

Incidentally... smolen? do people use Smolen on 6-4s? (I don't -- I play 1NT-2C-2D-4D/H is Texas with a 6-4.)

[jdonn]

Easy pass. People often make the mistake of thinking that just because they were about to bid game they were going to make game. Our hearts are bad, the auction says things won't break and partner showed values in our void. There is a great chance we were just let off the hook from our minus score!

Forget having 4♣ beat in his hand. Sometimes when people make bad bids he has them beat in the trump suit alone. This is one of the times that shorter trumps make me even happier to defend.

[Siegmund]

Its not the first time I've been in a minority with my evaluation of a hand. Will be interesting the read 'the rest of the story' when it comes out.

My thoughts on hearing partner has values in clubs was more along the lines of "that makes it easy, I don't have to worry about how to explore for a slam, and if they bid 5C and partner doubles again, I will be happy to sit for it since I've shown my hand." If partner hadn't doubled 4C there might be a tough 5-over-5 decision on the next round.

I would feel the same way as the other respondents so far if my hand were about a trick worse than it is. If I didn't have the HQ,say, I would bid 4H at MP out of fear of 300 being a zero but take my plus at IMPs.

[pooltuna]

JLOGIC, on Jul 14 2010, 10:55 PM, said:

I'd pass, we can have a 4450 0 count and partner has cracked them anyways. He has it set in his own hand. Cannot imagine this going for less than 300 and often 500+, and we don't have a sure game.

Given our hand it wouldnt be surprising if partner had 3 trump tricks and a trick or 2, I just wouldn't dream of pulling this.

These arguments look pretty solid and get my vote.

[billw55]

To me this a 100% business double. Partner knows his own hand and heard my stayman call, and decided to penalize. My hand is not at all unusual on the auction. Pulling would be anti-partnership.

[jjbrr]

1) Partner has defense; this is a penalty double
2) no.
3) I'm pretty happy as it is. Maybe if I had 2 more aces I'd worry about slam being missed

[mikeh]

I pass

The minuses are long hearts and void club. The latter may not be a minus at all....the fewer clubs I have, the more partner may have.

The hearts are a minus since partner's heart cards may not be as good defensively as he expected, but maybe he doesn't have heart cards or he is short enough that they cash anyway.

In the meantime, I have a heck of a lot more in hcp than I promised and my KQx in diamonds, especially, look good...short suit, concentrated cards. if he thinks he can beat it opposite a minimum type stayman, colour me happy.

[kayin801]

Ok thanks, my focus was more on "what is X" rather than "should I pull", but I guess I was a little surprised to hear people say never pull.

[whereagles]

I'd have bid a straight 4♥, so I'm going to do that now. Pard doesn't always have KJTx of clubs.

[jdonn]

kayin801, on Jul 15 2010, 01:23 PM, said:

Ok thanks, my focus was more on "what is X" rather than "should I pull", but I guess I was a little surprised to hear people say never pull.

I don't agree with never pull. For example you might feel you have slam, or at least if you had this shape and strength but with KQJTxx of hearts you would feel like game was more certain to make. Here I think game is just going down too often.

But certainly pass will be by far your most common action here, over 90% and maybe even higher.